


'tis the damn season

by namosjeong



Category: TWICE (Band)
Genre: F/F, Fake Dating
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-06
Updated: 2021-01-06
Packaged: 2021-03-16 06:36:07
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,338
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28577625
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/namosjeong/pseuds/namosjeong
Summary: Pretending to date one of your best friends, the same one you’ve been painfully in love with for years? There’s no way to come out of that unscathed.
Relationships: Hirai Momo/Myoui Mina
Kudos: 95





	'tis the damn season

**Author's Note:**

> my gf loves mimo, and she's been asking me to write her a mimo fic for ages, so i decided to write her this as a christmas gift. i hope all of you enjoy it as well <3

On the ranking of the worst ideas she’s ever had, Mina is pretty sure saying yes to Momo’s proposition classifies in the top five at least. 

If anyone asks, and she knows Sana will surely interrogate her later, she’ll just say she wasn’t in her right mind. And that is probably true, she always feels a little out of it when she spends time with Momo. Especially when she’s looking at her with those pleading eyes and pouty lips. Who can blame Mina for agreeing to anything she asks of her? 

Still, no matter the excuses she comes up with, this is going to hurt just the same. Pretending to date one of your best friends, the same one you’ve been painfully in love with for years? There’s no way to come out of that unscathed. What scares her more than the pain, however, is the high possibility of her slipping and making her feelings known somehow. She hasn’t worked so hard to keep them hidden for so long for nothing. 

Why was she hiding them? Aside from the very obvious -at least to her- lack of possibility of Momo liking her back, she had been dating someone else when Mina realized her feelings. And even though Nayeon and her had their very amicable break up quite some time ago, Mina can’t seem to move past that hiding stage she’s grown so comfortable with. 

It’s precisely because Momo has been single for so long that she requested Mina’s help. Her family has been annoying her out of her mind, asking when she’s going to bring someone new for them to meet, and she wants to prove to them she’s over her last relationship, which they don’t seem to believe. She’s happy how she is right now, Momo’s told her, and she believes her. Being single isn’t so bad, Mina has a lot of experience with it. 

But now, she’s going to be in a relationship. A fake one, yes, but still a relationship. Mina’s not confident she even remembers how to do that. Thankfully, it seems like she’s only going to have to pretend for a night. She just has to accompany Momo to her family Christmas dinner, act like she’s in love with her -which shouldn’t be very hard- and like they’re dating. That might be a little more difficult, but Mina’s sure she’ll be able to manage. Or, at least, she hopes she will. 

~

Christmas dinner comes up way too soon, and it almost catches Mina by surprise, as if it hasn’t been the one thing on her mind for weeks. She hasn’t told anyone, not wanting to endure the teasing she knows her friends will relentlessly torture her with. Sana is the only one she’s told about her feelings, but she’s sure the others wouldn’t be surprised if they found out about them either. 

Momo had thought silence would be the best course of action too, lying to her parents was already messy enough to involve their friends as well. They had come up with a simple story, after all, Momo’s family already knew her. After being friends for so long, feelings had emerged, and they had decided to go on a date to test it out. A dinner and a movie kind of date. After a few more outings they had decided to make it official. 

It was classic, simple, easy to remember. There was no way Mina could screw it up, right? 

“Are you okay? Your hand is shaking a little.” Momo, ever the attentive friend, points out. 

“Yeah, I’m just cold.” Mina says, going to hide her hand in the pocket of her coat but being stopped by Momo’s grabbing it and taking it between hers, rubbing it through the gloves they’re both wearing. 

“I know, it’s so damn freezing this winter, isn’t it?” Momo agrees. They’re walking to the restaurant they’re supposed to meet at, which isn’t that far, but the cold air makes it feel like a trip through the tundra. 

“Way too cold.” Mina shrugs her shoulders so her scarf will cover even more of her face. 

“Are you nervous about tonight?” Momo hasn’t let go of her hand, and she’s overly aware of that fact. “I still can’t believe you agreed to help me out, you’re an amazing friend, Mina.” 

“A little.” Being called Mom’s friend has long lost the sting it used to have. Mina is just happy to have this woman in her life, no matter what their relationship is. “Is it dumb that I want to cause a good impression?” 

Momo lets out the most adorable giggle at that. “My parents already love you. Mom was ecstatic when I told her I was bringing you over for dinner. Now I’m worried about when I have to tell them we broke up, she’s never going to forgive me for that.” 

“We could just keep fake dating forever.” Mina wants to slap herself after that joke, but at least it makes Momo laugh. 

“I think you’re a pretty good fake girlfriend, so I’m not opposed.” She replies, and Mina is thankful pretty much her whole face is covered and the deep blush that spreads across her cheeks remains hidden. 

Once they reach the restaurant, Momo, tugs her sleeve before they head inside to stop her. “Thank you for this.” She tells her, looking serious. “I know it seems silly, but I really didn’t want to come alone again.”

“You’ve thanked me a million times already, Momo. It’s no big deal.” Mina says, squeezing her hand. “Now, let’s go and play the roles of our lives.” She tells her, with far more confidence than she actually feels. 

~

Mina is proud to say she only goes through a brief moment of panic as sees Momo’s parents and sister come up to her. The temptation to turn around and run away only lasts for a few seconds, until she’s being effusively greeted by her supposed in-laws, and she realizes they actually seem very happy that she’s here. Momo hadn’t been lying when she said they were very pleased with the idea of them dating. 

After a couple of hours and an excessive but delicious amount of food, Mina starts to relax. They’ve almost made it. Dinner has been going smoothly, she’s only had to talk about how her job is going, and Momo has done a good job of telling a very believable story about how they finally realized their feelings for each other and started dating. 

For a moment, Mina even forgets that this is all a charade, a white lie she’s agreed to to help out a friend. She’d rather not dwell on how remembering the truth feels like a kick to the stomach. 

After filling the little space left in her stomach with some delicious dessert, dinner is over, and they all stand up and head towards the exit. Mina should have known things couldn’t be that easy. For some reason, everyone stops but Momo and her, and her sister and mother are whispering to each other and giggling.

She doesn’t realize her mistake until she looks up and sees the mistletoe hanging from the ceiling. Great. At this point, it doesn’t even surprise her she keeps stumbling into just more and more difficult situations for her.

Momo laughs nervously and rubs the back of her neck as her family cheer them on, obviously expecting them to play their part.

“Come on guys, don’t be silly.” She says.

“It’s okay.” Mina says, cursing herself once again for the lack of a proper connection between her brain and mouth. When will she learn to shut up or at least think before speaking? 

Now with Mina’s consent, Momo probably decides to get over this situation in the quickest way possible, and leans in to press what’s intended to be a simple peck to Mina’s lips. No big deal. 

At least, it shouldn’t have been. Momo’s lips are extremely soft, and warm, and feel ten times better than she had imagined. Then, Mina doesn’t know how, but it definitely lasts longer than it should, and even if they keep it very chaste -Momo’s family is  _ right there- _ both of them look shaken when they separate and their eyes meet again. 

_ Shit _ , Mina thinks when she sees something she doesn’t recognize in her friend’s eyes. She quickly comes to a conclusion. Momo  _ knows _ . Somehow, that kiss has made her figure out what she’s been keeping a secret for so long. 

She feels like she’s out of her body and moving on autopilot as Momo’s family cutely cheer for them and as they say their goodbyes. Once it’s only the two of them again, and Momo opens her mouth, Mina does the only thing she can think of. She runs. 

  
  


~

Mina should have known this whole situation was a) going to end up in disaster and b) with her having to spill the truth to Sana once everything went to shit. She’s just lucky her best friend is way too nice to smack her in the head like she deserves after she explains everything to her. 

“You just ran?” She asks, incredulously.

“I ran.” Mina confirms, her head hanging low.

“Oh, Mina. How can you be so smart and so dumb at the same time.” 

She’s wondered the same thing many times, but she still didn’t have an answer. 

“You know Momo probably didn’t notice anything, right?” Mina can tell Sana is doing her best to sound as kind as possible, like she’s talking to a little kid.

“You didn’t see her! The way she looked at me… there was something there.” 

“So talk to her and find out what it is.”

Mina just stared blankly at Sana as if she had tried to explain some kind of unsolvable mathematical problem, and her best friend just sighed in exasperation. 

“I give up. I’ve been giving you this talk for years and you refuse to follow any of my advice. So you’re on your own from now on.” Sana pats her shoulder as she stands up and heads to the kitchen to fix herself some tea. She knows Mina still has a few rambling sessions in her, and she’s going to need the pick-me-up.

But, before the water starts boiling, there are a series of rapid knocks on the front door of her apartment. Since she’s already up, and Mina is laying on her couch contemplating all her life choices, Sana goes to open it. She can’t say she’s that surprised to find Momo there, looking nervous and hesitant.

“Mina, you have a package!” She says without even letting the other woman say a word. “Also, I think I’m gonna go out for a walk.” Sana quickly grabs her coat and scarf and steps outside of the apartment while pushing Momo in and closing the door. 

“Mina?” Momo says tentatively as she walks further into the apartment. Hearing her voice, Mina jumps out of the couch, and looks at her like with eyes wide open in surprise. 

“Momo? What are you doing here?” 

“I couldn’t find you at your apartment, so I thought you’d most likely be at Sana’s. I just want to talk to you after what happened the other day.” 

“I don’t think there’s anything to talk about.” Mina says, and it comes way harsher than she meant it to. Momo flinches, and she feels awful. She’s screwing this up already. Again.

“I think there is. I just wanted to apologize if I made you feel uncomfortable, with the kiss and everything. Maybe I asked for too much, but I never wanted you to feel bad.” 

“I didn’t feel uncomfortable! Everything’s okay. I just didn’t feel well. I think it was the seafood.” That was probably the lamest least credible excuse Mina could come up with, but to be honest she didn’t have much to work with in the first place.

“That wasn’t the only thing I wanted to say, though.” Momo adds. 

“Oh.” Mina feels fear curl up her stomach. 

“That night… it made me realize something. I know we were just pretending, and that it was all fake, and when I asked you to help me I wasn’t thinking it would be more than that. But being like that with you, and that kiss… it kind of made me realize how much I would have liked for it all to be true.”

Mina feels like her brain has short-circuited. Because there is no way Momo is saying what she thinks she’s saying. Maybe this is all a hallucination. Or a dream. Pathetically enough, It wouldn’t be the first one. 

“Mina?” Momo asks after the loaded silence goes on for a little too long. When she still gets no response, her shoulders fall, and she looks down. She looks so much like a kicked puppy Mina would have enjoyed the cuteness if it wasn’t for the whole situation having her mind on overdrive. “I’m sorry. Let’s just forget about this, I am happy with being your friend-” 

As Momo quickly backtracks, Mina’s brain decides to finally kickstart again, and she reaches out to her, her hand ending up on Momo’s forearm. 

“Momo, wait.” 

Momo looks at her with a hint of hope in her eyes, and Mina wants to do something before it fades away. Words are not coming to her, so she goes for a more direct approach. 

Their second kiss is way better than the first one. After the initial surprise, Momo quickly reciprocates, cupping Mina’s cheek as she deepens the kiss. Mina is quite literally breathless when it ends, and it takes her a few seconds to come back to earth.

“Wow.” Is probably the lamest thing she could have said, but that is what she comes up with anyway. Thankfully, Momo doesn’t seem to mind, and she giggles, a faint blush covering her cheeks. 

“Wow indeed.” She says. “I take it you feel the same way?”

“Oh, I have quite a long story to tell you.”


End file.
